As Election Day approaches, Joe Biden and his team are exhausting all efforts to reach voters — even taking their campaign to a popular video game.
The Biden Campaign on Friday launched new headquarters in “Animal Crossing: New Horizon,” where players can visit an island called Biden HQ and learn all about the presidential candidate.
“Animal Crossing” is a life-simulation video game for Nintendo Switch in which players can explore deserted islands and develop them into communities full of anthropomorphic animals.
On Biden HQ, players can visit the candidate’s field office, where they’re prompted to help the campaign’s textbank and phonebank, as well as a polling station, where they’re encouraged to vote in real life.
The island includes ice cream stands, model trains and swag.
“With less than three weeks until Election Day, we are continuing to reach out to voters across the country wherever they are — including on Animal Crossing,” Christian Tom, director of digital partnerships for the Biden campaign, told CNN in a statement. “Exploring is at the heart of Animal Crossing, and we know that Biden HQ will encourage players to explore all the ways they can make a plan to vote at IWillVote.com and help elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
A field office on Biden HQ, Joe Biden’s island on “Animal Crossing.”
The former Vice President can also be seen walking around areas of the island where players can even take pictures with him. When interacting with his character, Biden will even shout “No Malarkey!“, one of his campaign slogans.
“Animal Crossing” has been a huge hit for Nintendo, and this is not the first time the Biden campaign is attempting to capitalize on its popularity by campaigning directly on the platform.
Beginning in settembre, players were able to put up Biden campaign signs and yard banners around their virtual neighborhoods.
President Donald Trump has no plans to launch a similar effort on “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” his campaign said.
“This explains everything: Joe Biden thinks he’s campaigning for President of Animal Crossing from his basement,” Samantha Zager, deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign, ha detto alla CNN. “The Trump campaign will continue to spend its resources campaigning in the real world with real Americans.”
To visit “Biden HQ,” players must have their avatars lay in a bed and fall asleep before entering the dream code DA-7286-5710-7478.
